A Matter of Honor
by Irhaboggles
Summary: Although Elphaba and Galinda were practically perfect opposites, both of them had a very strong sense of justice, and right vs wrong. They both managed to set aside their personal, petty pride to thank the other and maybe that is why they are just so perfect together: because under all of their differences, both of them have such good, beautiful hearts...


If anyone had ever asked Elphaba why she had done it, she would've answered that it was all a matter of honor. Because the green girl really did not have much else in life, she prized her good sense of honor above everything else. Even if she had nothing, and even if she was despised by every little last creature in Oz, Elphaba prized her honor above all of that. So if anyone had ever asked why, she would've answered with that one simple word, honor. It was all only a matter of honor, but to her, those matters were the most important of all...

If anyone had ever asked Galinda why she had done it, she would've answered that it was all a matter of honor. Because the spoiled young heiress really did not have much else in life that she actually enjoyed, she prized her good sense of honor above everything else. Even if she had nothing, and even if she despised every little part of her empty-headed and empty-hearted life, Galinda at least had her honor, and it was something real for her to cling to in a world of falsity and vanity. So if anyone had ever asked why, she would've answered with that one simple word, honor. It was all only a matter of honor, but to her, those matters were the most important of all...

On the surface, Elphaba and Galinda were polar opposites. No two girls could've been more different. And yet, at their cores, they were very eerily similar. Their differences, as they would eventually come to see, only ran skin deep. Sure, the skin could be very blinding and distracting (and not just in a literal sense, as was the case with Ms. Elphaba), but there would come a day when the two would manage to look beyond one another's surfaces and see the true hearts that lay buried within the deep. There would be the place in which they would find common ground. There would be their first connection point, leading to so many others along the way until they finally became completely intertwined, physically, mentally and emotionally. And it all started from that one little one, that one little matter of honor.

Even if both of them had nothing else, they both had a very strong sense of honor, and they both valued it very much. Perhaps that was why they were always destined to be such a great couple, because underneath everything else, their sense of honor was almost exactly the same. Perhaps it was this that drew them together. Perhaps it was this that made each girl so attracted to the other, even if she was unable to admit it at first. Perhaps it was this that predestined their love for one another. Perhaps it was this that made them see just how well they really could work when they were together.

But at the start, it was all only a matter of honor. It was nothing personal or friendly or sacrificial. It was just a matter of honor, of politeness, of morality. Neither of them had done it to be kind, caring or forgiving. They had only done it for themselves, for their own moral code, for their own senses of honor. But it was a start. And it was what drew the two of them together: the fact that they had both done it for themselves. Perhaps it sounded selfish at first, but upon closer inspection, it was actually quite courageous and unique. Both of them had risked everything in order to uphold their own personal moral code. That level of devotion and determination was rare, and outrageously attractive. Maybe their agendas had gone in opposite directions at first, but when they finally came together, what a beautiful unity it made! When their codes finally aligned and demanded that each girl treat the other with respect and kindness, what a beautiful beginning that little change bloomed.

When Elphaba threatened to give up her seat in Madam Morrible's sorcery seminar unless Galinda be allowed to join in too, she had not done it to be kind to Galinda. She had done it to thank the girl for helping her sister, Nessa, find a date. For her, it had all only been a matter of honor. Nessa had wished to repay the debt herself, but was unable to see what she could do to repay Galinda. That was when Elphaba stepped in. She knew what they could do to show Galinda their gratitude... SO she went and did it. She threatened to give up her entire future, throw away her one chance at happiness, all just so she could thank the girl who had tormented her mercilessly and endlessly since the very first second they laid eyes on one another. Elphaba's sense of honor was so strong that not only did she thank Galinda in Nessa's place, but she was willing to do it at a very great personal cost, and she did it all unflinchingly.

Morrible had been stunned, literally left dumbstruck by Elphaba's request, no, her _demand _that Galinda be let into the sorcery seminar too, but because Morrible knew that she needed to keep in Elphaba's good graces, she yielded to the green girl's demands and added Galinda's name to the roster. But not only did Elphaba demand that Galinda get a spot in the class, but she also insisted that Morrible tell her personally that very night. And with the same conviction as before, she bullied Morrible into complying. The girl really did have an iron will! Morrible would have to keep a close eye on her... Such strength could be very useful... when it was in the right hands. But if not, it went from admirable to dangerous...

"But why?" Morrible had asked at last, genuinely confounded that Elphaba should so passionately defend a girl she despised.

"A matter of honor," Elphaba replied vaguely, and she left it at that, and for once, Morrible didn't dare ask for more.

So Elphaba's debt to Galinda was repaid. Nessa's debit to Galinda was repaid. Although Elphaba had loathed it at first, the moment she realized that she owed Galinda a favor, she had grit her teeth and gone through it all with an unwavering determination. She had dared to throw away the best thing that had ever happened to her all just to thank Galinda, and even though it had been hard for her to swallow at first, when she finally did approach Morrible, she didn't even flinch, not once.

Then it was Galinda's turn. When the party commenced, Elphaba walked in wearing a hideous hat Galinda had given to her as a prank gift. Naturally, the entire ballroom could only stare as Elphaba strutted on in, looking like an absolute idiot. Galinda, the ringleader of the prank, had never felt more ashamed. And the shame only burned her even hotter as she remembered that this was the girl who had earned her a spot in that coveted sorcery seminar (Morrible had come in to tell her only moments ago, she was even holding the training wand now).

"What have I done?" the little blond asked in despair. While Elphaba did her best to put on a brave face, Galinda knew how badly she was hurting. Shame unmatched filled her entire being and then it was Galinda's turn to risk everything and leap.

Throwing all caution to the wind, risking her social life and her reputation, Galinda approached the humiliated green girl and offered to dance with her. Naturally, Elphaba had been wary at first, and Galinda had been so mortified to be apologizing to her (and it was made even worse by the fact that the entire school was watchign) but Galinda's sense of honor was just as strong as Elphaba's. Once the initial mortification passed, Galinda steeled her nerves, closed her eyes, and leapt. She began to dance, humiliating herself in front of the entire school all just to prove to Elphaba that she was genuinely sorry for all she had put the green girl through. It was the worst two minutes and 28 seconds of her life, but at the same time, it was all strangely liberating. The longer she danced, the less she cared. Once she overcame that first hurdle of initial humiliation, everything that came after was almost easy. She refused to back down, she refused to even bend. With resolve, she continued to dance like an idiot, silently apologizing to Elphaba while daring to turn her back on the people whom she had considered "friends" for her entire life.

Throwing away her entire past and risking her entire future, Galinda made things up to Elphaba. It wasn't just for Elphaba's sake, though, it was also for her own. Galinda did this for her own personal moral code just as much as she had done it for Elphaba. But that was because the two fo them weren't that different after all. Both were very driven and honorable and when either of them realized that they had a debt they needed to pay, they would go to the ends of the Earth to get it done. If anyone had asked Galinda why she was doing this, she would've only said that it was a matter of honor, a debt she needed to pay. Now it was Galinda's turn to pay up, and she did not disappoint. Fearless, resolute, she danced and danced, until the entire party seemed to forgive her, the music starting up again slowly but surely as she and Elphaba continued to glide across the floor. Then Galinda's smile became real.

The rest of the night passed in bliss, Elphaba and Galinda remaining glued to one another's sides for the rest of the night. Then even after the party finally ended, everyone returning home to their dorms, Elphaba and Galinda remained locked in conversation, eyes and hands and hearts tightly attached. They spent the night talking, bonding, befriending. By morning, any trace of their past hatred had changed into shy, tentative friendship. But their debts to one another had been paid! They should've been free to go back to the way they used to be! They should've been free to leave one another's presences again! But they didn't. Instead, each girl found herself deeply drawn into the other's presence, and there they remained. They were no longer bound by duty, but by desire. Now if anyone had asked, it was no longer a matter of honor that kept them together, but because they had genuinely begun to enjoy one another's company.

Given enough time, then, with any luck and hope, the script would change for good and it would no longer be a matter of honor that drove them together, but instead, maybe someday, they would be able to say that it was a matter of love.

**AN: A couple weeks ago, I visited NYC and got to see Wicked on Broadway. Watching the "Dancing Through Life" scene again reminded me just how amazing Elphaba and Galinda are, and just how perfect they are for one another. Even from the start, there is so much they have in common, and this fic is meant to highlight that once again. Even when they still hated one another, both of their senses of honor were so good that they willingly set aside their personal pride to help one another out. If that doesn't awe and inspire you, IDK what will. I will never get over how beautiful it is to hear that Elphaba almost quit sorcery just to thank Galinda and I will never get over how beautiful it is to see Galinda turn her back on her "friends" to stand by Elphaba, the school's ultimate outcast. They really are perfect together and both of them honestly do have such wonderful senses of honor.**


End file.
